User blog:BattleGames1/Invasion of Stroggos Battle 2 - Strogg vs Covenant Empire
Last time on the Invasion of Stroggos, the Mobile Infantry valiantly fought their way past the Strogg to get to the Makron's palace... but their efforts to reach the leader himself were in vain. Now, years pass, the Strogg have rebuilt themselves up from the ground and a new Makron has spearheaded the defense of the planet. Mankind has turned to an unexpectedly ally for help, and now a new Invasion of Stroggos begins now... The Strogg, ruthless power-hungry cyborgs who wish to recycle humanity for spare parts and food in order to sustain their civilization and conquest... vs The Covenant Empire, genocidal aliens seeking to dominate the galaxy and using every able-bodied alien to achieve that end... WHO... IS... DEADLIEST? =Let's Meet the Combatants= Strogg The Strogg are cybernetic constructs of unclear origins that reproduce by taking biological components and fusing them with advanced technology in the brutal surgical process of stroggification that enslaves their minds and enhances their bodies for war. The Strogg's need to harvest biological components for their own augmentation, and the flesh of slain enemies for the creation of stroyent, is their primary motivation, since it is necessary for their survival. This motivation led the Strogg to Earth, which they promptly invaded, slaughtering millions of humans just to harvest their corpses. This Strogg aggression led to humanity's long war with them that has continued unabated ever since. Units The Big Boss - Makron= The Makron is the supreme leader of the Strogg, and also serves as the guardian of the Strogg Nexus. Different from the one previously seen (ie in my last battle), the Makron is a larger, more powerful version built or elected to replace the previous Makron. This Makron has a noticeably more sadistic personality. In contrast to the previous Makron, which was an organic brain housed inside a robotic battle suit, the current Makron has an organic alien head and torso, encased in a gigantic, heavily armored robotic torso, and four spider-like mechanical legs. It stands roughly 20 feet tall. In the center of the Makron's torso is an attached Human Torso Unit serving as an extra power supply. The Makron is armed with a multi-purpose dark matter cannon as its right arm, which can fire a large variety of different attacks; standard large blaster bolts, a spread of standard grenades, a dark matter black hole, a spread of dark matter grenades, and finally a spread of teleport drops to summon Strogg reinforcements (though for fairness purposes, the last ability is not included). The Makron's left arm is a 3-pronged claw that can also fire a sweeping dark matter beam. The Makron can also stomp the ground to create a 360 degree shockwave attack, and can also step on enemies if they get too close. |-| The Second-In-Command - Voss= In the initial counteroffensive on Stroggos, Voss served as Lieutenant of Rhino Squad before being captured by the Strogg (having been separated from the Squad beforehand) and subject to an experimental Stroggification process. The stroggified Voss' torso has been integrated into an experimental robotic mech walker suit that stands just a little over 8 feet tall and is built for extreme combat. This robotic suit is heavily armed with experimental Strogg weaponry; it possesses a dark matter gun for a left arm, a lightning gun for a right arm, a back-mounted homing missile launcher capable of firing several homing missiles at once, and finally a back-mounted teleport dropper capable of dropping a handful of teleports to summon lesser Strogg (such as Guards and Grunts) to assist Voss in combat (like the Makron though, I am removing the last ability for fairness purposes). Only the Makron himself possesses superior firepower. The suit is also heavily armored; it only takes 25% damage from any attacks that hit the suit itself; only attacks to Voss' organic torso will do full damage. Finally, the suit is equipped with a powerful energy shield that needs to be depleted before the boss' health can be damaged. The shield is quite powerful and can withstand several hits from rockets or more than a full clip of hyperblaster fire. |-| The Giants - Stream Protectors= Stream Protectors are massive, 10-foot tall Strogg guardians with a robotic torso and spider-like legs, designed to protect important data streams from being destroyed by intruders. To ensure success, Protectors usually attack in pairs to take down a target. Stream Protectors are heavily armed and armored walking weapons platforms, equipped with a flamethrower for a left arm, a large blaster for a right arm, a pair of shoulder-mounted small blasters, and a back-mounted homing rocket launcher. They are not particularly mobile, but are extremely durable. Stream Protectors are essentially walking weapons platforms. They actually have above-average speed, but don't move around much at all, preferring to stand in one place while firing at enemies with their wide assortment of weapons. They can fire a burst of a few large plasma shots from their main arm-cannon, or a swarm of a few dozen small plasma bolts from their twin shoulder-mounted cannons. Finally, they can launch several homing mini-rockets from the rocket turret on their backs. They're also equipped with a flamethrower, but only use it at close range. They also have a melee attack, but again will only use it at point-blank range. |-| The Cannon Fodder - Grunts and Guards= The Guard, also known as the Strogg Marine, is a Strogg guard consisting of a naked Stroggified human with mechanical legs and a small arm-cannon for a right arm. Although very weak, they are quite numerous, often attacking in groups of several at once. Relatively small (being human-sized) and unarmored, Guards are highly vulnerable to gunfire. However, their light weight gives them better agility than larger, more heavily armored Strogg; Guards can run at a decent pace, and can also hop sideways several feet to dodge gunfire or projectiles. They have decent intelligence and can move behind cover to hide from attack, although unlike Tactical Strogg they cannot lean around or over cover to fire their weapon. Besides shooting you with their main weapon, Guards can also bash you with it at close range for a melee attack. A Grunt is a man-sized, humanoid creature with sharp teeth, 3 eyes, and green canisters along its arms and back. The Grunt has a more ape-like build and alien facial structure compared to most other Strogg, who are more human-like in appearance. Grunts usually attack with melee attacks, either by punching or pouncing at a target from more than a dozen feet away. Grunts can also occasionally attack distant targets with a shoulder-mounted rotary Machine Gun, but they rarely do this, instead preferring to focus exclusively on charging at the player for melee combat. When damaged, Grunts will often "frenzy"; injecting stroyent into their body from the green canisters lining their arms and back. This gives them a modest health boost as well as increasing the damage done by their melee attacks. However, they must stand still for a second or two while frenzying. |-| The Elite - Gunners and Berserkers= A Gunner is a 7-foot tall mid-level humanoid Strogg unit, with a combination Nailgun and Grenade Launcher replacing its right forearm. Upon spotting an enemy, the Gunner fires bursts of several nails from its nailgun, with a brief pause between bursts. The nails are quite accurate, but travel slow enough to dodge if the player is far away or moves quickly enough. The Gunner also occasionally lobs a bouncing grenade at the player using its grenade launcher. The Gunner always signals that it's about to launch a grenade by cocking its arm-cannon before firing. The Gunner can stalk back and forth while firing or walk forward to pursue the player, but its speed is relatively slow and it is unable to run. Due to their below average speed, Gunners are fairly defensive and tend to guard rooms instead of chasing the player. Gunners are usually encountered one at a time, often accompanied by a squad of Guards or Tactical Strogg. The Berserker is a 7-foot tall, mid-level, humanoid Strogg unit designed for close quarters combat. Its right forearm is a long, metal spike and its left hand is an extendable mace/morningstar. Berserkers run straight at the target upon detection, and attack with the blade or the mace. Their blade has reasonably good range and can be used while the player is several feet away. The mace can also be detached and swung as a morning star with a range of several feet. Although they usually charge in a straight line, Berserkers are agile and can hop sideways to dodge gunfire or other projectiles. Besides point-blank melee attacks, Berserkers also possess a couple of close-combat ranged attacks via the channeling of electricity through their blade arm. Berserkers can slam their blade into the ground and send a wave of electricity through the floor at the target; this attack has a range of more than 15 feet and often catches the target by surprise. They can also fire a bolt of lightning directly at the target with their blade arm which hits instantly and has a range of about 15-20 feet, although this method of attack is seldomly used, it might use this attack if the player manages to keep a distance from it. Berkserkers are quite fast; they run noticeably faster than humans and many other Strogg units. Attempting to outrun a Berserker is impossible since it will always catch up and attack. The Brutes - Gladiators and Tanks= A Gladiator is a massive, 8-foot tall Strogg heavy unit equipped with a shoulder mounted Railgun as well as an arm-mounted plasma blaster. The Gladiator is also equipped with a large, arm-mounted energy shield that is uses as defence from frontal attacks. The Tanks are a strong form of Strogg, are heavily armored - hence their name - and are commanders over other Strogg on the battlefield. They have a particularly deadly arsenal, complete with rockets intent on blowing their Human enemies to smithereens. The Light Tank is a large, 8-foot tall humanoid Tank variant. It is heavily armored and equipped with a multipurpose flame projector for its right arm, as well as having a heavy mace for its left arm. Its flame projector can fire a flurry of small missiles with erratic flight paths, a single large, powerful fireball (which takes a second or so to charge up and fire), or it can be used as a flamethrower with a distance of 20+ feet. The Light Tank can also club enemies in melee combat with its mace arm. The Light Tank essentially stalks straight at the enemy as soon as it spots him, and it will always know there the target is. At long range, while walking towards the target it can fire a flurry of small, slow moving, smoke-trailed, drunken blaster bolts that move in an erratic, "swimming" pattern. It can also stand still, kneel, and charge up and fire a single powerful fireball that moves slowly but hits for heavy damage. However, the Light Tank's primary focus is on melee damage, preferring to walk up to its target and club him with its mace rather than standing back and using its ranged attacks. The Light Tank actually has fairly average speed, being too heavy to run and limited to a sort of power walk. Conversely, it's very durable, and can take quite a lot of damage before dying. A Heavy Hover Tank is a variant of the Tank series, designed to be used as an effective anti-vehicle and anti-personnel unit. It consists of a large Strogg upper torso, with a floating hover platform instead of legs. It has two weapons; a huge missile launcher for a right arm that fires large guided missiles, and a rapid-fire wrist-mounted blaster on its left arm. It fires a guided missile every several seconds, and between missile shots uses its blaster to rapid-fire bursts of many small blaster bolts. At point-blank range they can also swipe at human infantry with their arm. The Heavy Hover Tank floats slowly back and forth through the air; it has below average speed, but as a constantly moving flying target it can still be a bit difficult to hit with slower moving projectiles such as rockets or grenades. The Heavy Hover Tank's guided missile is its primary attack, and is very devastating, dealing heavy damage as well as hurling the player a few dozen feet through the air with the explosive splash damage, and sometimes, falling damage. The missile can severely damage a vehicle if it takes a direct hit, it still can hurt the driver within in its blast range. The missile moves quite slowly, but homes in on the enemy and can be difficult to dodge. The missile attack is a long range attack, and the Heavy Hover Tank doesn't seem to use it at close range. In between missile shots, the Heavy Hover Tank uses its blaster to fire bursts of several small blaster bolts. The blaster is reasonably accurate and can fire more than a dozen bolts per burst. The bolts do about twice as much damage the standard bolts fired by Light Guards, Gladiators, etc. |-| The Floaters - Scientists and Iron Maidens= The Scientist is a model of Strogg tasked with maintenance of the Stroggification process and conducting essential research. They examine the specimens destined for Stroggification and make any necessary procedures. They're composed of a human torso attached to a small hover pad instead of legs, allowing free movement through the air. The mouth is covered by some sort of a respirator, and its eyes glow a bright orange which is a common feature amongst the Strogg. Scientists are equipped with the tools that they need for research, including a circular saw for a right hand and a number of needles mounted on extra mechanical limbs, all brutally welded into the torso. If necessary, the scientist may utilise those tools as weapons. Scientists also have a poison gas-filled grenade they can throw if forced into combat. Scientists float through the air at below average speed, striking you with melee attacks from their their various sharp instruments if you get close. Their only ranged attack is a gas grenade, which explodes and releases a cloud of toxic gas for several seconds. This gas cloud does gradual poison damage, and any armor equipped doesn't reduce the damage induced by the gas, probably due to inhalation. The gas grenade doesn't do much damage, but it can be very difficult to avoid the gas entirely, so you usually end up taking a small amount of damage from each gas grenade attack. The Scientists have a tendency to sneak up on its targets in order to attack unexpectedly with an intent to kill. This will be a common tactic amongst them, since they are a weak model of Strogg and they need to avoid taking damage. Their hover pad allows them movement without making any noise, so they are virtually undetectable unless spotted visually. An Iron Maiden is a female Strogg consisting of a female human-like upper body with no legs, instead having a dress-like series of energy ribbons that trail under them as they float through the air, unlike her Quake 2 counterpart. She can teleport short distances (which causes her to disappear for a few seconds before reappearing elsewhere in the room). Her agility allows her to avoid most projectiles, such as unguided Rockets. She is equipped with a Rocket Launcher mounted on her left arm, and a claw mounted on her right hand, and she can fire a short-range energy wave from her mouth that disorients any target hit by it. Iron Maidens are usually kept in special storage containers and released when a security breach occurs. Iron Maidens float through the air while firing rockets at the player, with a brief pause between each rocket volley. They typically fire a series of 3 rockets in sequence, although they occasionally only fire a single rocket. Their rockets can be dodged at medium or long range, but have a decent-sized splash damage radius, which can be annoying when fighting them in very close quarters. At close range, they can scream and emit a short range energy wave from their mouth, which does modest damage and disorients an enemy's vision for a few seconds. At point-blank range they can slash with their claw, but they seem to prefer using their scream attack instead. They're quite agile, and can abruptly strafe sideways several feet in mid-air to dodge rockets and other projectiles. They also can occasionally teleport to a different position in the room, which they often do immediately after being shot. |-| The Special Forces - Tactical Strogg= Tactical Strogg are Stroggified Human Marines, specially selected to become Tactical units because of the exceptional combat prowess, tactical ability and overall intelligence they have displayed in battle. Designed to act in co-ordination and co-operation with one another in a Human-style squad (which is perhaps indicative of the Strogg changing tack and adapting their units and tactics to better fight off the Human threat), they fight with advanced tactics such as flanking, utilizing cover and, unlike many other Strogg units, communicating with one another. Tactical Strogg are considered "elite" warriors by the Strogg, designed with the express purpose of dealing with high risk targets. They are tougher and more advanced than more primitive Stroggified human Guards, and they may even be capable of a degree of independent thought and action which, if proven, would further mark them apart from other Strogg units. |-| Land Vehicle - Harvester= Harvesters are gigantic, 50-foot tall spider-like robot mechs used by the Strogg as anti-vehicle heavy armor. They are the largest, most powerful Strogg units seen in the game. The Harvester consists of a humanoid "torso" (equipped with two blaster arms) attached to four spider-like legs. They only appear in a handful of levels, and can only be properly fought if the player is inside a vehicle (hovertank or mech walker). They are extremely resilient (5,000 health points, the most durable non-boss enemy) and very dangerous. They attack primarily with a full-auto blaster, and can periodically launch a swarm of two or three powerful homing rockets. They can also impale enemies and even vehicles with their legs; this attack is an instant kill even against a hovertank. |-| Aerial Support - Hornet= Hornets are low-flying Strogg aircraft designed to harass and attack ground-based targets, and drop Convoys onto the ground. They are armed with missiles and can drop bombs. Hornets are quite agile and fast on the fly so it is cautioned to get up close to the vehicle when possible before disabling it. Note -> optional info next but useful to take into consideration Convoys are sentry guns shaped like orbs dropped by Hornets. When such unit hits the ground, it begins rolling around until it finds a safe position to attack. When it does, it'll stop and open fire with two Machine Guns that come out of the interior through the metallic shell. If a target gets too close, a convoy unit will retreat and find another safe spot to attack from. The Covenant Empire The Covenant Empire, also referred to as the Covenant was a religious hegemony made up of many alien species that controlled a large portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. They waged a genocidal campaign against Humanity until they were defeated due to many factors, the most crucial of which was an internal conflict. While the Covenant's leadership was either lost during the Flood infection of High Charity or during the Battle of Installation 00, the Covenant continues to exist even after the conclusion of the war. In exactly what capacity it continues to operate in remains unknown. The species that make up the confederation known as the Covenant come from different parts of the galaxy and take all kinds of physical forms. Organized into a caste system by their religious leaders the San'Shyuum, the different species of the Covenant have many divisions but there is one powerful force that unites them — their blind faith in the Great Journey. The Covenant society is a single hegemonistic culture, It is a culture with a distinct caste based societal system which has a strong theocratic underpinning. There are three basic Covenant castes: The Religious caste; the Military or Warrior caste; and the Worker caste. Like other civilizations, the Covenant maintains a permanent armed forces branch, used to enforce order, conduct atmospheric and space combat operations, and generally project the Covenant's power onto others. Formerly led by the Elites prior to the Covenant Civil War, the Loyalist branches are now led by the Brutes. The military comprises of the Covenant Navy, the Covenant Army and the Special Warfare Group containing the Special Operations Division (SpecOps). Combined with the unique abilities of the client races, help to push the ever-growing war machine of the Covenant. Humans are the only species known that have started war against the Covenant and survived, unlike the Grunts (Unggoy) who almost immedietly surrendered and joined the Covenant. The human's very existance is heresy to all Covenant branches, such as Insurrectionists modifying Plasma Rifles for utility and accuracy, seen in the riots of Charybdis IX. Units The Big Boss - Prophet of Regret= Don't let the look fool you, as Regret is a force to be reckoned with, literally. The Prophet of Regret is armed with a vast array of weaponry. He has his signature Plasma "Cleansing" Cannon which calls down an energy beam from an orbiting vessel. He is also equipped with personal shields and modified fuel rod cannons. He also has his signature Hover Chair which can also be used to fly. |-| The Second-In-Command - Ripa 'Moramee= Ripa'Moramee was a brutal and violent warlord who struck fear into the hearts of all of his foes. A towering mass of muscles and armor that dwarfed even his mighty fellow Elites, Ripa was infamous for his unforgiving tactics, which were custome designed to inspire intense loyalty in his men while demoralizing the foe. His dual Energy Swords and rage made him a nearly unstoppable force on the field of battle as he tore through squad after squad. His ferocious loyalty to the Covenant and the Great Journey is matched only by his cruelty and effciency on the battlefield. |-| The Giants - Mgalekgolo/Hunters= The Covenant's elite Heavy Hitters, the Hunters are devestating warriors. Actually a collection of parasites bound to the armor they wear, they charge into battle with their heavy cannons, which can either fire a deadly explosive rocket-like shot, or a concentrated beam of death and in the other hand, they wield a massive shield which can block damage from even the heaviest explosive. While their armor leaves notable gaps that are vulnerable, they make up for this by deploying in bonded pairs, who watch each other's backs and team up to take down heavy foes. |-| The Cannon Fodder - Unggoy/Grunts= As the short and cowardly cannon fodder of the Covenant, the Unggoy (better known as Grunts) are poorly educated and individually weak. However, in a pack under command of a powerful leader, they can become a force to be reckoned with. Their Plasma Pistols can disable any shield or vehicle in a single charged shot, their Plasma Grenades are devestating and demoralizing to see rain down on foes, sticking and exploding foes away, and their Needler Rifles can turn any organic target into an exploding pin-cushion. Despite their cowardly exterior, the Grunts should not be underestimated in the field. The Unggoy also employ special units to buffer their forces. Explosive specialists armed with heavy Fuel Rod Cannons can shell a target with ease, raining down explosive hell that can turn a vehicle or super soldier into a smoking ruin in a few shots. Deacons are religious leaders that follow the squads into battle, inspiring them despite their cowardice, and some of them use Plasma Rifles, the basic weapon of the Covenant army. Another special troop is the Suicide Grunt- a religious fanatic who covers itself in Plasma Grenades to perform a fatal attack to destroy armored targets or foes hidden in cover. |-| The Elite - Sangheili/Elites= The Sangheili, better known as the Elites, are the devestating leaders and elite troops of the Covenant. Wielding a massive and diverse arsenal of equipment, each Elite is a towering, threatening warrior with enough raw power to crush a human without weapons. Factor in tech such as their cloaking devices, advanced energy shielding, deady one-hit kill Energy Swords, a wide array of plasma based weaponry, and the devout respect of their troops, and it becomes clear that each individual Elite on the field of battle is a major threat. They are strong, fast and intellegent- a deadly trifecta of X-Factors that have lead to them being the key to the Covenant's war forces. The Brutes - Jiralhanae/Brutes= Brutes are a barbarian-like warrior peopel recruited into the Covenant for the penchance for war. They are nothing but raw strength and an unstopable will to fight, and to kill. They wield devestatingly brutal weapons, such as the Brute Shot grenade launcher that doubles as a bladed melee weapon, the Spiker- an SMG like gun that fires sharp needles at bullet speeds and has twin mounted knife blades for cutting, the Spike Grenade- a sticky grenade designed to spread spikes like shrapnel, the Mauler- a one-hand shotgun that can be dual-weilded with another one or a Spiker, the Incendiary Grenade- a flaming explosive that creates blankets of deadly fire and the Gravity Hammer, which can spread pain and fear across enemy forces with ease. They charge into battle in heavy armor, but if and when this defense is knocked off, they fly into a blood rage which makes them much more dangerous and damaging. They have to remorse or regrets, and they will show no mercy on the field of battle. |-| The Floaters - Yanme'e/Drones= The Yan'me, also referred to as Drones and Buggers, are a hive-mind force employed by the Covenant in massive numbers. While they lack much in tactics and strength, they more than make up for in their individual speed and unusual small frames, which are difficult for most soldier to hit while dozens on them swarm about, raining down shots from Plasma Pistols and Needlers on their foes. Their overwhelming attacks are often coupled with surprising ambush tactics, to further tear apart their foes. |-| The Special Forces - Kig-Yar/Jackals= Kig-Yar are quick and shifty creatures, employed by the Covenany in two major varieties. The Snipers are the most deadly, and the ones most feared by the UNSC. They have extremley muted armor that helps them hide in the distance, and their Covenant Carbines can cause deadly accurate damage at any range, and Particle Beam Rifles can do massive damage from long ranges. When the Kig-Yar need to engage foes up close, they grab any one-handed gun in the Covenant arsenal (commonly Plasma Pistols or Needlers) and an energy shield. The shield has a few small gaps to allow for aiming, and concentrated fire can take it down, but it is proven to be effective enough against most foes. The Kig-Yar are one of the more intellegent of the Covenant races- they display a cruel tactical mind when they need to, and have a heavy sense of self-preservation, understanding the need to fall back when their shields pop so they can recharge. Despite this, the Kig-Yar are most effective at longer ranges, where they can prey on their foes as snipers. |-| Land Vehicle - Scarab= The Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform, more commonly known as the Scarab, is a Covenant quadrupedal siegeworks ultra-heavy artillery assault platform. A mobile mining platform adapted for use in combat, it is used to attack heavily defended structures and emplacements and to provide nearly-unstoppable combat support to Covenant ground forces. It is extremely powerful, possessing potent armament and armor. Although the Scarab appears to be a traditional vehicle, it is actually a bio-mechanical construct, a Mgalekgolo, that is controlled by thousands of Lekgolo "eels". The Lekgolo are capable of maneuvering the Scarab on their own; however, each platform includes a pilot who guides the Scarab, along with infantry who are stationed to repel boarders and, in the case of the V2, to operate its deck-mounted plasma cannons. Despite its prodigious firepower, the Scarab is highly vulnerable to being boarded; the platform has many openings, and the central core is protected only by the vehicle's external armor, so attacking the core is relatively easy once a hostile boards the craft. Unlike most Covenant vehicles, the Scarab does not use anti-gravity propulsion to move; it instead uses a quadrupedal "leg" assembly for locomotion. These jointed legs are very powerful, capable of crushing vehicles ranging from civilian cargo trucks to M808B Main Battle Tanks; they are strong enough to even withstand the shock of low-orbital drop. The legs are also very nimble, affording the Scarab a surprising degree of maneuverability. The Scarab's primary armament is a focus cannon mounted on the "head" at the front of the platform. The weapon fires a stream of superheated plasma, capable of decimating nearly any infantry or vehicle in its path. The effective range of the focus cannon is rather short, being about 650 meters, and the blast can easily be evaded at a distance, but Scarabs have exceptional target-spotting capabilities. |-| Aerial Support - Ghost= The Ghost is a one-man gravity-effect vehicle, primarily used in a reconnaissance and close infantry support or rapid attack role. Known for its speed and maneuverability as well as its near silent anti-gravity propulsion system the Type-32's use in the field by the Covenant is varied but can adjust very quickly and easily for any role required at any moment. The Type-32 RAV is used by the Covenant for a number of different roles, such as patrolling large areas in short amount of time, and to combat infantry when needed. The Ghost can be deployed almost anywhere and can follow Covenant ground troops with ease. The Ghost is propelled by a form of anti-gravity engine known as a Boosted Gravity Propulsion Drive, allowing the Ghost to skim above the ground while it is activated. The Type-32 RAV is armed with two linked forward-firing plasma cannons. These Directed Energy Weapons serve as powerful anti-infantry and anti armor weapons, running on only a small power source. The firepower produced by this weapon is considerably high, able to punch through and melt multiple layers of armor until the target vehicles are destroyed, or inoperable. Cerebron Complex NOTE 1: This is optional if you think I should do a squad survival mission for this match Note 2: Initially, it will be Ripa 'Moramee leading a small squadron at the Landing Site; once the air defence cannon is destroyed, then the Covenant will at every level "drop off" additional Covenant Forces until the Nexus Tunnels MCC Landing Site= The TCM in this area have already carved out trenches from where they fight their way past the Strogg forces to get to the main hangar and then subsequently the Air Defense Cannon. The Cannon acts like the Big Gun (from Quake 2) with the power to down enemy ships within range. Inside the strcture housing the Cannon, it is basically a cyberpunk/industrial-themed series of straight corridors and areas housing large machine-like systems as well as computer interfaces and Strogg supply crates. Sensor doors are frequent in the facility as are hiding spots for most Strogg units. |-| Strogg Medical Facilities= Think of this place as a mix of the Strogg Research Lab and Detention Centre but with a more medical-industrial theme to it. This is where downed/captured Marines (both living and dead - mostly the former) and other life-forms are experimented on by Strogg Scientists. The process is strictly like an assembly line, and there is a high risk involved in rescuing the marines/interrupting the Stroggification procedure. As well as the Strogg conveyor belt and medical outposts in the facilities, there will be a number of cryogenic tubes lining some of the walls as well as a disposal and research rooms for failed experiments. The moans and cries of fallen soldiers line the air much to the Strogg's amusement... |-| Recomposition Centre= This facility is where injured Strogg are repaired and/or given Stroyent to revatilise themselves. Similar layout to the MCC Landing Site but with more machinery and tubes as well as machinery similar to those seen in the Medical Facilites. Lighting here gets lower than usual so it is best to watch your step and check the corners. |-| Aqueducts= Essentially the outdoor areas that the TCM have not yet bombarded or reshaped in any way. Plenty of room for vehicles to move about. Several tunnels and/or intermediate repair stations are dispersed along the highway. |-| Data Storage Terminal= As one of the main towers housing the security system for entry into the Nexus, this terminal indeed takes the layout of a tower with short winding corridors and walkways as well as the odd lift or two. The middle section of the tower contains the primary walkways leading to certain aspects of the tower as well as the primary source of power. The computers and machinery in this unit are dedicated to the storage of a catalogue of data relayed by the Makron to the front line. |-| Tram Hub Station + Tram Rail= Self-explanatory. It is a tram station that links the three towers together aside from the Nexus in the middle of the triangle. There are at least more than 3 (or maybe just 3) tram rails that run through an open canyons; and 3 sufficiently-sized open tram carts. |-| Data Processing Terminal= Essentially the same layout as the Storage Terminal but with machinery and computers dedicated to the processing of the data found in the storage terminal. This tower however is more guarded than the last one (as is the tower after it) |-| Data Networking Terminal= This tower contains the main security network that will allow access to the Nexus. The tower itself is the main relayer of the Makron's orders to the Strogg network. |-| Nexus Hub= Located below the Nexus Core, the Hub contains the main supply line for the electrical wiring and such which establishes the conmmunications network between the Makron and his minions. Basically anyone with a technically-set mind can overload the network if done right. |-| The Nexus= The ultimate room that houses the Makron and his (failing by this stage unless otherwise) Nexus device. Layout-wise it is 4 corridors that lead to a central pit from which 4 electric pylons emerge as does the Makron. Notes For your vote to count as full, it MUST contain the following: *Weapons Comparison *Units Comparison *Stage-by-Stage Breakdown (Optional) Compare weapons as such: *Metal Bladed Protrusions (teeth of the Grunt, spike of the Berserker, needle and saw of the Scientist, Makron's, Stream Protectors' and Voss's claws) vs Energy Sword *Blunt Weapons (Mace/Morningstar of the Berserker and Light Tank, melee manoeuvres of the Grunt and gun club of the Guards) vs Gravity Hammer *Blaster (used by Light Guards and Heavy Tanks; the energy waves from the Iron Maiden also fit in this category) vs Plasma Pistol *Shotgun (used by Shotgun Guards and Tactical Strogg) vs Plasma Rifle *Hyperblaster (used by Tactical Strogg) vs Spike Rifle *Machine Gun (used by Sentries, Grunts, Machine Gun Guards, Tactical Strogg and Convoys) vs Storm Rifle *Nailgun (used by Gunners) vs Plasma Repeater *Grenade Launcher (used by Gunners and Scientists) vs Brute Shot *Rocket Launcher (used by Iron Maidens, Heavy Hover Tanks and Voss) vs Needler *Railgun (used by Gladiators) vs Particle Beam Rifle *Lightning Gun (used by Berserkers and Voss) vs Concussion Rifle *Dark Matter Gun (used by Makron and Voss) vs Assault Cannon *Flame Projector (used by Light Tanks) vs Plasma Launcher and the Stages are as such (I might make the maximum number of Covenant units 76 - 12 of each unit type + Ripa + Prophet + vehicles; immediately though, Ripa's squad will have less units before the Air Cannon is destroyed) *Stage 1 - MCC Landing Site (Ripa's Squad = 20 = Ripa + 6 Unggoy + 6 Sangheili + 7 Kig Yar): 30 Guards (10 of each type), 10 Grunts, 5 Berserkers *Stage 2 - Medical Facilities (Limited reinforcements introduced): 25 Scientists, 20 Gunners, 18 Guards, 5 Berserkers *Stage 3 - Recomposition Centre: 10 Scientists, 15 Guards, 15 Tactical Strogg, 5 Gunners, 5 Berserkers *Stage 4 - Aqueducts (Vehicles introduced): 10 Hornets (each carrying 3 convoys), 30 Guards, 5 Gunners, 5 Heavy Hover Tanks, 2 Harvesters *Stage 5 - Data Storage Terminal (Drones introduced): 30 Guards, 20 Grunts, 15 Tactical Strogg, 7 Light Tanks, 7 Gunners, 6 Berserkers *Stage 6 - Tram Hub Station + Tram Rail: 45 Guards, 10 Gunners, 10 Berserkers, 5 Gladiators, 5 Light Tanks, 15 Tactical Strogg, 20 Grunts *Stage 7 - Data Processing Terminal (Ripa's Squad = 72 units + Ripa; Hunters introduced; no more reinforcements can be called): 5 Stream Protectors, 15 Tactical Strogg, 10 Iron Maidens, 10 Gladiators, 5 Light Tanks, 10 Gunners, 30 Guards *Stage 8 - Data Networking Terminal: 10 Berserkers, 21 Guards, 4 Gladiators, 15 Tactical Strogg, 5 Light Tanks *Stage 9 - Nexus Hub: 15 Sentries, 15 Guards, 15 Grunts, 10 Gunners, 10 Gladiators, 5 Berserkers, 10 Stream Protectors *Stage 10 - Nexus (Prophet of Regret only): Makron No Battle Written - Covenant Empire Wins Experts Opinion The experts have noted that while the Strogg were tough, more varied and had access to powerful weaponry (the Dark Matter Gun), the Covenant Empire in the end had superior and balanced weaponry plus expertly trained units of their own. When it came down to Makron vs Prophet of Regret, it was noted that while Makron was more intimidating with the claws and dark matter gun, the Prophet had a lot more mobility and can access a powerful weapon from the ship that would easily decimate the Strogg boss. If you find this battle to be unfair in any way, shape or form, you can go ahead and do a rematch. Category:Blog posts